Got the same problems in Australia making it very hard to get anything done
It is hard for me to imagine that there are many miles of this line that will be suitable for 60 mph operation. there are many small to medium sized towns with crossings, from Greenwood to the Ohio river. There also does not appear to be a lot of room for many sidings any more, tracks often are close to buildings and US 31. I hope it happens and more traffic uses the old Monon through Lafayette.
For once I agree with my verbose friend from Illinois. Damn the NIMBYS and full steam ahead!
Noise pollution?!! Give me a break. How many Harleys and big-rigs run the major highways that largely parallel the railroad’s route? That’s noise pollution. If the trains are run with modern Tier 4 compliant units, the problem will be to hear them at the crossings because they’re so quiet! Towns offended by noise can go to “quiet crossings” so the trains don’t blow for them. This is just namby-pamby government meddling. Maybe the railroad should just run the extra trains they’d like to put on the line at the current slower speeds (nothing to prevent this) and let all the complainers see how much fun it is to wait for additional longer & slower trains at the crossings. Maybe then there wouldn’t be so much crying in their beer when the railroad got around to running them faster!
The Monon Route south of Bloomington was uneconomical and had way too much city street running. Essentially, not useful for through container traffic from Jacksonville much less 60mph running. Even Hoback at the IRR gave it a shot and couldn’t find enough to keep it alive.
As far as the CE&I route north of Woodland, if the route is so bad with UP, why did they sell trackage rights to IRR? Doesn’t compute.
CSX wants to have fast track between Jacksonville & Chicago but doesn’t have enough legacy track that can support their needs. This is causing the yard constraints. Coming up the L&I and using Avon Yard they can route traffic up the North Monon Route. I think they knew this when they gave up on the South Monon Route. I will ask, but I bet that paying to fix up the L&I was way cheaper than paying to fix up the South Monon.
This is a bureaucratic delay that in the long run will mean nothing. (And bureaucracy is everywhere-in government and private enterprise)
Overall, the CSX/L&I deal is a good one. The L&I is relatively flat and straight and once upgraded should be good for 40-60 mph depending on the location. Roughly 15 trains a day can be accommodated and the sites for new sidings have already been selected. They will also have to install a signal system since it is currently dark territory. CSX’s LCL Sub is at capacity and cannot be easily upgraded due to geographic issues. (Much of this was in CSX & L&I’s operating plan submitted to the STB)
In the end it will be approved once more people have had their voices “heard.”
This is a bureaucratic delay that in the long run will mean nothing. (And bureaucracy is everywhere-in government and private enterprise)
Overall, the CSX/L&I deal is a good one. The L&I is relatively flat and straight and once upgraded should be good for 40-60 mph depending on the location. Roughly 15 trains a day can be accommodated and the sites for new sidings have already been selected. They will also have to install a signal system since it is currently dark territory. CSX’s LCL Sub is at capacity and cannot be easily upgraded due to geographic issues. (Much of this was in CSX & L&I’s operating plan submitted to the STB)
In the end it will be approved once more people have had their voices “heard.”
Noise, Wildlife??? Where is all this local concern whenever a new housing project springs up in a abandoned farm field, or when additional roads, gas stations, crappy looking strip malls are built??? I agree with Don Woodworth from Illinois - CSX, just run your trains the best you can at the slower speeds.
Number one value of this upgrade is to bypass congested Queensgate Yard in Cincinnati.
Also, it’s a truck derby on I-65 between Louisville and Indianapolis; the L&I upgrade could have a POSITIVE effect on the environment.
BTW, the report cites a bridge in Columbus at MP 40. Columbus is MP 41.0 in vintage PRR ETTs, and the bridge is probably about MP 41.2
Obviously, few people have been paying attention to CSXs How Tomorrow Moves ads. 
Sadly, so many of these bureaucratic battles are caused by big egos and power trips and complete lack of common sense.